Biogeosciences
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Articles | Volume 22, issue 18
Articles | Volume 22, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4627-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4627-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 22, issue 18
Research article
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15 Sep 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 15 Sep 2025

Organic soils can be CO2 sinks in both drained and undrained hemiboreal peatland forests

Aldis Butlers, Raija Laiho, Andis Lazdiņš, Thomas Schindler, Kaido Soosaar, Jyrki Jauhiainen, Arta Bārdule, Muhammad Kamil-Sardar, Ieva Līcīte, Valters Samariks, Andreas Haberl, Hanna Vahter, Dovilė Čiuldienė, Jani Anttila, and Kęstutis Armolaitis

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Editorial statement
This study challenges the assumption that drained organic soils always lose carbon, showing that flawed methods and inconsistent emission factors may lead to overestimated emissions. These findings are relevant for climate policy and national reporting.
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Short summary
A 2-year study assessed the soil carbon dioxide (CO2) balance of drained and undrained hemiboreal peatland forests across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The study sites included a wide variety of nutrient-rich organic soils, ranging from those near the threshold of organic soil definition to deep peat soils. The soils varied in pH, nutrient levels, and C : N ratio, which contributed to the observed behavior of the soils, demonstrating CO2 sink and source dynamics under both drained and undrained conditions.
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